1. Field
One embodiment of the invention relates to an electronic apparatus which is connected to a host apparatus to expand the function of the host apparatus, and a content data providing method using the electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the development has been progressed rapidly for the environment for interconnecting and using digital TV apparatuses, video recorders, computers, etc. In this environment, a user can view, for example, TV broadcast program data, which has been recorded in a video recorder, by using a personal computer.
Under the circumstances, various proposals have been made on the function of enabling viewing of data, which is recorded in a video recorder, for example, on a personal computer, in the same manner as viewing of data, which is recorded in a personal computer, on the personal computer. For example, a system disclosed in Jpn. PCT National Publication No. 2006-524848 makes use of a UPnP (universal plug and play) control point having an expanded file system/service, thereby to make visible the content data within a UPnP (universal plug and play) media server.
In addition, recently, the interconnection of digital electric appliances over a wireless LAN has widely been practiced. In this case, since TV broadcast program data, for example, which is recorded in a video recorder, can be transferred cablelessly to other devices, such as personal computers, the user can enjoy movies, etc. anywhere he/she wants.
However, in order to take content, which is recorded in a digital electric appliance, into a certain device by wireless communication and play back the content, it is necessary to newly equip the device with a wireless communication function and a UPnP (universal plug and play) function. Thus, even in the case of a device having a function of playing back content, it is necessary to largely improve the operating system of the device itself or the file service function of the operating system, thereby to enable easy use of the content data within an external device such as a digital electric appliance.
Under the circumstances, there has been a demand for the realization of a novel function which enables a conventional existing device to handle content data within an external device, without improving the conventional existing device. Besides, the data size of content data, such as video data or audio data, is relatively large. It is thus necessary to realize a novel function for handling a plurality of content data by using a minimum possible resource.